Aspects of the present invention generally relate to the field of optical spectrometers.
Miniature optical spectrometers based on linear silicon charge-coupled device (CCD) array detectors have several advantages over conventional benchtop scanning and/or Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. Such advantages include compact size, robust optoelectronics, and short sampling times. Exemplary spectrometers based on linear silicon CCD arrays include USB4000 and USB2000 model spectrometers manufactured by Ocean Optics, Inc., Mini-spectrometers manufactured Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., BLACK-Comet model spectrometers manufactured by StellarNet, Inc., and SM240 model spectrometers manufactured by Spectral Products. However, conventional spectrometers based on linear silicon CCD array detectors also have disadvantages. Namely, they suffer from low sensitivity (e.g., only 250:1 for the USB2000 model spectrometer manufactured by Ocean Optics, Inc.).